𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄

𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄

OCTOBER 30TH, 1984

Henry Hargrove. Blonde. Tall. Smart- but no one knows it. Powerful. Strong. Those were just some of the few words to describe Henry. He is an exact copy of his older brother. The infamous Billy Hargrove.

Hargrove sat on the edge of his bed, staring up blankly at the cracked ceiling. The muffled sounds of the morning peered through the thin walls of his house. The clatter of his step-mother, Susan doing the dishes in the kitchen. The hum of his neighbor mowing the lawn outside. The sound of hard rock music coming from his brother's room right beside his.

The first day of school.

Henry should be feeling nervous. He should be absolutely terrified to be attending an entirely new school across the country. He should be excited. Excited to start a new life in a new state.

Henry felt numb.

He felt an emptiness.

Billy was already making a big deal out of his little brother and step-sister running late. He could feel the trail of terror that his brother left around the house. The pure anger.

Henry hated being compared to Billy. But- Henry was more like his brother than he wanted to admit. Henry had a short temper just like his brother, getting mad easily and not knowing how to control himself. He found himself punching the wall a few times, breaking his knuckles and leaving holes in the wall from his anger.

Henry adverted his eyes from the ceiling, down to his poorly and loosely laced up converse. They were pretty beaten up and dirty. He was poor so this was honestly the only pair of shoes he owned and wore most of the time. Henry wondered how much longer he could sit on his bed before Billy and/or his dad started yelling at him again.

He wasn't ready to face the world yet.

Henry grabbed his backpack, slinging it only one shoulder. Don't use both straps. You're not gay. The sound of Billy's voice filled his head, reminding himself not to use both straps of his backpack.

Henry walked out of the room, noticing his older brother leaning against the door frame with a cigarette between his lips. He noticed the fiery red hair of his slightly younger step-sister, watching as she walked through the door and not give Billy the time of day.

Henry nodded his head at his brother as he walked through the door, making his way to the dark blue Camaro. He watched as Maxine got into the car before him, going into the back seat. She pulled the seat down so Henry could sit back in the front seat. Henry didn't say at word, just sitting down and looking out the window.

Before he realized it, Billy was in the car and driving to school. The smell of cigarette smoke filled the blonde boys nose, scrunching it up in reaction. His arms were crossed over his chest, glaring out the window as Billy blew out a thick cloud of smoke into the car. The smell made Henry's stomach turned.